Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Racine Fiesta Mexicana 2012 In Wisconsin Canceled By Organizers

Fiesta Mexicana's 2011 incurred debt led to the cancellation of the summer festival for 2012.

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 27, 2012

Racine - On Monday, the Hispanic Business and Professional Association, Inc. (HBPA) Board of Directors decided to cancel this year's August Racine Fiesta Mexicana 2012 due to lack of funds needed to provide a quality event at the lakefront, Guadalupe "Wally" Rendon, Director of the Racine Fiesta Mexicana announced in the Racine Fiesta Facebook site. "As much as I would have liked to have one again this year, we just do not have the funds to put on a quality event, such as you have enjoyed these past five years," Rendon wrote.
The Fiesta Mexicana organizers will focus on fundraising this year to pay off their incurred debt. Rendon did not specify how much the fiesta's debt totaled in Facebook, but the HBPA non-profit organization will have smaller fund raising events throughout the year to generate funds for next year's Fiesta Mexicana, a popular Mexican-American lakefront festival.
The Racine Fiesta Mexicana committee plans to "regroup than to try to have an event without the necessary funds to do it right...as we re-organize, pay off our debt and prepare for future events for you all to enjoy," Rendon wrote.
Rendon when contacted on Tuesday said, that Fiesta Mexicana has paid up to $10,000 of incurred debt from the festival since August and they still owe nearly $19,000. Payments will continued to be made to those who we owe and smaller events like a Fajita Festival with entertainment is on the planning stages to generate funds. In the last five years, we've been able to pay our incurred costs for the festival. But last year, we encountered a set back when a promoter failed to fulfill his contract and we had to divert more funds into the festival to provide a quality event last year, according to Rendon.
Last year, Fiesta organizers had to invest more funds than they had planned when the music venue focusing on regional Mexican music had to be change at least seven days before the August 12-14, 2011 lakefront festival. Luis Enrique Martínez from L.E.M. Marketing and Productions in Milwaukee had entered into a contract agreement to bring Bobby Pulido and at least 22 Mexican groups in a package deal to Fiesta Mexicana, but Fiesta organizers discovered that Martinez was allegedly trying to scam the organizers.
Organizers decided to cancel Martínez' contract once it was apparent that Martínez wasn't providing concrete documents and flight or travel confirmations that the groups were actually appearing in Racine, according to Rendon.
At the last minute, Rendon had to change the program venue and was able to get other groups, including the Puma de Sinaloa. Rendon explained, that Martínez had requested some money upfront from the Board to help pay a deposit for Pulido. The Board refused, since Martínez previously promised he would take care of the contracts with the groups himself. The Fiesta Board tried to get information about Martínez credibility in the music industry, but found no one that could vouch for him. The Fiesta Board "after some discussion and the fact that we had no upfront money, we opted to give him the opportunity to bring that type of entertainment.
We felt that for Martínez to make money, he needed to book entertainers that would bring people in and spend money consuming beverages," Rendon wrote in a 2011 e-mail to Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
Racine Fiesta Mexicana organizers filed a complaint for alleged fraud against Martínez with the Racine Police Department, Rendon confirmed on Tuesday.

About Me

"Words conveyed by wisdom and truth influence inevitable change, Las palabras que contienen sabiduria y verdad influyen inevitablemente al cambio", H. Nelson Goodson said.
Goodson is well known in the local organizing community network. Nationally, Goodson is one of the foremost respected immigration rights and reform journalist.
He is also one of America's foremost Latino civil libertarian.
The Badger Blogger 2008, Patrick wrote: Mr. H. Nelson Goodson, "You have covered things that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper won't and you cover it in a way they fear." Posted on Badger Blogger on August 17th, 2007 at 6:39 p.m.
Goodson was instrumental in helping to coordinate the national Immigration movement early in 2006, which drew millions of supporters for immigration rights and reform. Goodson further encouraged numerous members of the Latino entertainment world to endorse and support immigration reform throughout the nation in 2006, published in "El Conquistador Newspaper" issue on November 21, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Currently, Goodson has more than 32 years experience in news investigative reporting. (2015)

Immigration March 2007

Goodson marched with immigrants calling for a just comprehensive immigration reform, which would create a path for legalization for more than 13 million undocumented immigrants and to keep families together.